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Bendrath SC, Cook CA, Knapp DJ, Thiele TE. Orexinergic lateral hypothalamus (LH) projections to medial septum (MS) modulate ethanol-induced sedation in male and female mice and binge-like ethanol drinking in male mice only. Alcohol 2024; 115:13-22. [PMID: 37717641 PMCID: PMC10922035 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2023.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Orexin in both the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and medial septum (MS) is involved in sleep- and consciousness-related conditions. Since orexin modulates the intoxicating as well as rewarding effects of ethanol, this study focused on the role of orexin-projecting neurons from the LH to the MS, and this neurocircuit's role in mediating the sedative effects of alcohol. Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) behavior was also assessed as a measure of the role of the LH-MS pathway in modulating binge-like ethanol intake, with a particular focus on sex differences in both behavioral paradigms. Male and female Hcrt-ires-cre mice received cannulation in the MS, while the LH was injected bilaterally with cre-dependent excitatory (Gq) Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drug (DREADD), inhibitory (Gi) DREADD or control virus. All subjects received a 3.75 g/kg dose of 20 % ethanol intraperitoneally and the sedative effect was assessed by the loss of righting reflex (LORR). After behavioral testing, brains were used for c-Fos immunohistochemistry analyses. A separate cohort of mice was used for a 2-week DID protocol using excitatory (Gq) DREADD and control virus. Gq DREADD-induced activation of the orexin neurocircuitry from the LH to the MS significantly reduced sedation time in both female and male mice. Furthermore, CNO treatment failed to alter ethanol sedation times in both animals expressing Gi DREADDs and control virus. There were no significant differences in blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) in any experimental group, suggesting that changes in sedation were not due to treatment-induced alterations of ethanol metabolism. Interestingly, in the DID study, only male mice decreased their ethanol consumption when Gq DREADDs were activated. These results provide novel evidence on the role played by this orexinergic LH to MS circuit on the sedative effects of ethanol and ethanol consumption in a sex-dependent manner. Thus, the MS should be considered further as a novel sexually dimorphic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie C Bendrath
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, United States
| | - Cory A Cook
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, United States
| | - Darin J Knapp
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, United States
| | - Todd E Thiele
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, United States; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, United States.
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Simon RC, Fleming WT, Senthilkumar P, Briones BA, Ishii KK, Hjort MM, Martin MM, Hashikawa K, Sanders AD, Golden SA, Stuber GD. Opioid-driven disruption of the septal complex reveals a role for neurotensin-expressing neurons in withdrawal. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575766. [PMID: 38293241 PMCID: PMC10827099 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Because opioid withdrawal is an intensely aversive experience, persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) often relapse to avoid it. The lateral septum (LS) is a forebrain structure that is important in aversion processing, and previous studies have linked the lateral septum (LS) to substance use disorders. It is unclear, however, which precise LS cell types might contribute to the maladaptive state of withdrawal. To address this, we used single-nucleus RNA-sequencing to interrogate cell type specific gene expression changes induced by chronic morphine and withdrawal. We discovered that morphine globally disrupted the transcriptional profile of LS cell types, but Neurotensin-expressing neurons (Nts; LS-Nts neurons) were selectively activated by naloxone. Using two-photon calcium imaging and ex vivo electrophysiology, we next demonstrate that LS-Nts neurons receive enhanced glutamatergic drive in morphine-dependent mice and remain hyperactivated during opioid withdrawal. Finally, we showed that activating and silencing LS-Nts neurons during opioid withdrawal regulates pain coping behaviors and sociability. Together, these results suggest that LS-Nts neurons are a key neural substrate involved in opioid withdrawal and establish the LS as a crucial regulator of adaptive behaviors, specifically pertaining to OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhiana C. Simon
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Weston T. Fleming
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Pranav Senthilkumar
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Brandy A. Briones
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kentaro K. Ishii
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Madelyn M. Hjort
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Madison M. Martin
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Koichi Hashikawa
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Andrea D. Sanders
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Sam A. Golden
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Garret D. Stuber
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion (NAPE), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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